By Ovie Okpare
Prominent Itsekiri leader and a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State, Chief Ayiri Emami, has declared that there is no vacancy in Aso Rock Villa in 2027, telling those ganging up against President Bola Tinubu ahead of the polls that they will be disappointed.
Ayiri also passed a vote of confidence on the Managing Director of Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Samuel Ogbuku and his team, noting that the interventionist agency under her current leadership was working for the interest of the people of the oil-rich region.
This is even as the APC leader presented various gifts running into millions of naira to hundreds of Ilaje traders and fishermen in Warri Southwest council area of Delta State for supporting the election and administration of President Tinubu.
Chief Ayiri made the donation at a ceremony tagged ‘President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Valentine’s Carnival held at the 911 Beach & Resort in Escravos, Ugborodo, Warri South West Council area of the state.
The benefitting Ilaje communities are Egbokuta, Costain, Agoila and Agogboro. Each of the communities received four speedboat engines through a raffle draw, 20 bags of rice, four cows, and cash gifts at the ceremony.
The popular businessman also donated a speedboat engine to the Baale of Egbokuta, Durojaiye Ogunsemore.
The Delta APC leader said the gesture was to thank the Ilaje communities for their unwavering support for President Tinubu, prior to and after the 2023 general elections and urged the people to continue to pray for Mr. President and his cabinet to deliver the dividend of democracy to Nigerians.
Speaking at the event, Chief Ayiri said, “I decided to show love to Ilajes in Warri South-West because they stood firmly when people were not ready to support President Tinubu. When I came to your place, the townhall used to be full; you gave me food. I know you complain of the high cost of fuel and food, but Asiwaju is working to fix them.
“I don’t want to wait till 2027 to thank you. You accepted us during the campaigns, so I have come to thank you with the little that I have.
On the forthcoming 2027 elections, Ayiri told those ganging up against President Tinubu that they will all fail, declaring that there is “no vacancy” at the State House.
“Let’s give Asiwaju Tinubu chance to rule. We gave Buhari a chance; it’s not that we were happy with the government. We fought our own brother to support Buhari. Now it’s the turn of Asiwaju, they are coming again, saying that we should come and fight. We say ‘no’. We are not going to fight.
“This man must complete his tenure. A lot of them that are ganging up are part and parcel of the last administration. For those ganging up, we will also enter our own meetings here. Tinubu must complete his eight years. We say no to gang up,” Chief Emami declared.
He also asserted that there was no vacancy in the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), pointing out that the agency under Dr. Samuel Ogbuku, has been delivering on the commission’s mandate.
“No vacancy in NDDC, we can only fight those who do not do well. In the past six years we have not seen an MD like this; it was as if the NDDC was not in existence,” the APC chief stated.
Other dignitaries at the event were Chief Michael Odeli, the Olorogun of Warri; Comrade Alex Enyengho, Chairman Governing Council, Federal College of Education, Abeokuta; APC chairmen of Warri North and Warri Southwest, Omatseye Akatakpo and Ebieto Collins, as well as members of the Ilaje National Youth Council, Ogidigben Seashore.
In their respective goodwill messages, they commended the benefitting communities for queuing behind Chief Emami to support President Tinubu, just as they thanked the host (Emami) for the gesture and his leadership role in the party.
In brief remarks, beneficiaries of the speedboat engines, which included a woman, Demehin Sunmomi, thanked Chief Emami for the gift, noting that it would greatly boost their fishing profession.
